Huawei is working on a foldable smartphone that it plans to launch sometime next year, according to a report from CNET. Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group, said that the company already has a working prototype, but the device needs some improvement related to mechanical design.

According to Yu, in its current form, the phone will have two screens with a “small gap” between the two. “That’s not good”, says Yu, “and we should get rid of that gap”. The company stressed that the prototype device needs “better, more flexible display technology” before the commercial version of the phone hits the market next year.

Bezel-less smartphones like the iPhone X, Galaxy Note 8 and Mi Mix 2 are the hottest trend of 2017. But, Huawei believes that the next smartphone design revolution comes when we start seeing foldable smartphones in the market. ZTE, Huawei’s arch rival in the smartphone business, already launched a foldable phone in the form of the Axon M which will be made available through AT&T in the US in the coming week. Samsung is also working on a foldable smartphone that appears to feature a single OLED screen. Speculated to be called the Galaxy X, the smartphone will likely to launch in South Korea in 2018, before making its way to other countries.

Huawei continues to do exceptionally well in China and Europe, but its entry into the US market still remains a challenge. That might change in the near future as the company is on the mission to take on the likes of Apple and Samsung. The world’s third largest smartphone marker hopes to beat both Apple and Samsung in the mobile phone market. “We will overtake them definitely,” Yu said. “That’s our destiny. Maybe I’m not humble … but nobody can stop us.”

The company recently launched the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro in a high-profile event in Munich. Both smartphones are the company’s most advanced devices, featuring extra-tall displays, premium designs, Leica-branded dual cameras, and an AI-powered Kirin 970 chipset. – Indian Express